From the Forum: Why a balcony garden reminds us of a penthouse mountain
There’s a question on the Forum this week that has brought back memories of a story from a few years ago when a man in China decided to build a…
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What will your dog do when you return to work?
With many Australians hopefully heading back into the office in the near future, your pets are going to have to make a major adjustment too. And what you don’t want…
Coronavirus information, advice and support
We all need help navigating the maze of information around coronavirus lockdown and the various forms of assistance on offer. There is so much information for people in different circumstances…
See JimmyT on Amanda Farmer’s Happy Hour
For those of you for whom too much Flat Chat isn’t enough, I leapt into the world of live podcasting this week when I was the guest on strata lawyer…
Levies shortfall plan where everyone’s a winner
There is a lot of genuine angst around about the payment of levies or, more to the point, the inability to pay them. Just to be clear, there are no…
From the Forum – down in the dumps with a slack SM
We live in strange times indeed, and this week we received one of the longest posts to the Forum that I have ever seen. The main topic? A strata manager…
Podcast 72 – Move it … while the politicians lose it
Are you a gym junkie, hanging out for those palaces of pain, sweat and tears to re-open? Or are you just coming to the gradual conclusion that binge-watching TV while…
Working out the best way of working out at home
The commercial gyms are closed, as are the apartment block facilities managed by the more cautious strata committees. And the fitness gear store shelves have been cleared of dumbbells, kettle…
Upper House report slams Government on cladding, defects and reforms
A NSW Upper House committee has slammed the NSW State government over alleged failures in three key areas all of which are directly related to apartment living. The government is…
From the Forum – is working from home legal?
With more of us working from home, a fairly obvious question has been raised – is it legal? And the answer is … probably yes, possibly no. The critical issue,…
Podcast 71 – Redesigning flats for work and a legal view of solo meetings
Sometimes the way we want to live influences architecture, sometimes architecture influences the way we live. There are still older blocks dotted around Sydney’s harbour suburbs where someone who wanted…
Insurance loans for cash-strapped strata schemes
With strata insurance being one of the few mandatory expenses in apartment blocks – even essential maintenance can be delayed and deferred – it looms as a serious concern for…